The Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has renewed her call for urgent improvements in Ghana’s road infrastructure, stressing that without good roads, the full potential of the tourism sector cannot be realised.

Addressing journalists during her tour of tourist sites in the Volta Region as part of World Tourism Day celebrations, Madam Gomashie argued that poor access roads remain one of the greatest barriers to maximising tourism revenues.

“Without these roads, we still managed to contribute over GH¢4.8 billion to Ghana’s GDP. Imagine what would happen if we had good roads to all our major tourism sites,” she stated.

She noted that road rehabilitation to places such as Agbozume’s slave market, Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary, and the region’s ecotourism sites would greatly improve visitor experiences and encourage tourists to stay longer in host communities.

“Bad roads make people want to leave quickly and return to Accra. Good roads, on the other hand, encourage people to stay one or two weeks, leaving money in the communities,” she explained.

The Minister further revealed that President John Mahama has, for the first time, authorised 80 per cent of the District Assemblies Common Fund to be released to assemblies, compared to the previous 40–45 per cent.

She called on MMDAs to package and develop their local attractions so the ministry could help market them internationally.

She described Ghana’s tourism sector as “a goldmine waiting to be fully tapped” and pledged to continue lobbying the government to prioritise road development in tourism investment.